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Monday, 20 April 2015

COCONUT AND TURMERIC ROAST POTATOES

I've got a love-hate-love relationship with coconut flour. Or should I say a love-hate-love history. Let's begin with the first love: it all started when I discovered that coconut flour was even a thing. As a long-time advocate of coconut oil, coconut water, coconut milk and every other coconut product that has been brought to light, I was only too happy to embrace this new addition to my coconut-centric world. Which is to say, I fell head over heels in love with the very idea of coconut flour even before I knew what to do with it. I imagined all the cool stuff I'd make - pancakes, cakes, porridges. It was goodbye plain old conventional wheat flour and hello powdery coconutty goodness.

And then came the hate, which really was to do with my determination to make coconut flour into something it was not; to use it in ways that it was not intended to be used. The gritty consistency frustrated me - 'these pancakes taste like sawdust!' 'this gluten-free coconut flour cake is literally falling apart at the touch of my little finger!' Frustration I tell ya...

Who would have thought that this simple life lesson would also apply to kitchen ingredients - that we must inherently appreciate things (and people!) for what (or who!) they are and not what we would ideally like them to be. So then came the love again, this time with the realisation that coconut flour is unique and different and shines in all its coconutty glory when its qualities are highlighted and celebrated rather than suppressed. That gritty texture? Turns out it makes a delicious coating on roast potatoes. Consider this recipe a statement of our reconciliation.

Ingredients

- 2 large potatoes (cut into wedges)

- 2 tbsp coconut flour

- 1 tsp ground turmeric

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- 1 vegetable bouillon cube

Place the potato wedges in a saucepan and cover with water. Allow the water to reach boiling point then lower the heat and allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.

To make the coating, place the coconut flour, turmeric, olive oil and vegetable bouillon cube in a large bowl and mix until you have a paste.

Drop the potatoes into the paste and mix to coat them completely.

Spread the potatoes out on a lightly greased roasting tin. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and cover with foil (poke the foil and create some holes to allow any steam to escape).

Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, gas mark 6. Remove the foil 3/4 of the way through the cooking time and turn the potatoes over once.

Serve as a side dish or have as a meal with your favourite tomato sauce (aka ketchup).

Certainly some people may think this might have a cheesy flavour but certainly it does not. I also think it probably tastes just as good with sweet potatoes and it's a great way to make use of coconut pulp. Thanks!

I have a large packet of coconut flour sitting at the back of my pantry, because, like your adventures, pretty much everything I have tried it in has been a disaster. So dry! But I love your idea of appreciating things for what they are, and not what we want them to replace. (Bit like nut cheese is actually its own thing, and simply delicious in its own right.) Looking forward to trying out this recipe.